groovyrooby

I am loving these Louisiana Duets. This one is a very real, natural honeysuckle smell. Like sticking your nose into flowers on the vine. Light, sweet, and fresh. Really beautiful. Another one I am loving for late summer bedtime with the windows open wide, like honeysuckle wafting in the breeze. Lovely.

I am so delighted with the Louisiana duets I have tried so far. This one - and this is going to sound strange, but I mean this in the best possible way - smells like cucumber melon and sawdust! Not the sweetest "cucumber melon" fragrances of yore, but like an actual cucumber melon - light, crisp, faintly sweet, very refreshing tiny cucumber melons. It's really powerful to start. It rises above everything else when I open the lid to my box of things to test. Beckoning. With lingering woody sawdust, almost sandalwood, but more like balsa wood. Like a craft table. I have been wearing this to bed pretty much every night since it arrived. For me, it is the PERFECT late-summer-with-the-windows-open-turning-to-fall--humidity smell. I shower at night, and this is excellent for feeling fresh and calm and cared for. I adore it. Very unique in my experience.

Holy bubblegum, Batman! Not at all what I expected!! I've actually been avoiding this one in the AG collection, because this passage from the book perfectly describes how honey notes tend to behave on me - so sweet they go sour, like pickle juice, like sweat dried on a cooled-off body. But this! This is the exact opposite! It is crazy sweet on me! Fresh, soft Bazooka Joe bubblegum. It's quite welcome, actually, because all the delicious-sounding candy gourmand scents I want so badly to work turn to burnt plastic on me, and the FOMO is killing me. But this scratches that itch beautifully. Hurray! Gets a little woody up close, almost car-freshener sweet with time. But still wafting longer, sweeter, and with a tinge of fruit (strawberry? definitely pink) than any of the candy scents I've tried. This is a win!

Still making my way through the AG scents, and nabbed a full size of this after trying. I was really scared at first - it's got a musty, tangy, coppery vibe when wet. The kind of blood note I do not enjoy. But on me, it dries into this rich, deep, gorgeous resinous smell. Husband picked out the woods right away. I don't really get them on me. But slightly smoky, copal up close, wafting a little incense, anchored by deep, glowing, red/brown resin. I'm wearing it to work today, on a day needing empowerment via confidence, steadfastness, patience, and resolve, but not complacency.

I can finally gush about this one now that I got my hands on a bottle. Endless Corridor is one of my all time faves. I also love fresh Dragon's Blood. It comes through resiny sweet and very floral on me - lilacs. Not at all the tangy musty cherry Tussin I expected. The Endless + blood combo rings clear as a bell here. Hot metallic tang, but not too tangy. Dry desert dragon heat, red musk that reminds me of Hexentanz. All over gorgeous beeswax. :d Husband took a whiff and said, "That totally smells like YOU." That sealed the deal! I save this one for special occasions, because it is so precious. I've worn it to concerts and Friday nights out, when I know there won't be too much atmosphere competing with this beautiful scent. On the other hand, I don't want to let it get too old, because I don't love aged Dragon's Blood as much. I'm keeping my decant so I can keep an eye on how it progresses. Just tested Mithras last night, and by golly it reminds me a lot of this one! (gonna need that, too!) So if you'd like to give it a try but can't get your hands on it, that's a great start.

Coming back to give this one some love. It's one of my favorites. I hoarded samples until I could find a full bottle. On me, it's frankincense and black pepper up front, with tobacco weighing it down, in turns cognac sweet and lemony cedar wood in a tussle. They're beautifully blended and all take a turn. I actually thought I hated frankincense - it's usually too dusty and powdery, almost sour on me. But this one opened my mind! I was surprised when I came back to see it in the notes here. The weather just dropped by about 20 degrees last night. Autumn is rolling in, and I found most excited to bring this out again. It's dry and the spices are faint, with a little cedar lemony wood Wearing it to work today. This could go pretty much anywhere.

I haven't read this series (although this inspired me to add to my reading list), so I can't speak to how evocative it is, but - I love this! I wanted to try for the black pepper and clove. I had no idea I was getting something so complex and intriguing! This started with a dry, cool vibe, like a very herbal lavender, like White Oakmoss & Lavender, which I love. Then it shifted to a cottony, lemony vibe, almost like Lazy Daisy (<3), and ended on the loveliest, lingering sandalwood, much like my beloved Solved Mysteries. I'd venture the two biggest standouts overall were black pepper and white musk in a tussle throughout. I sniffed my self all day, wore it again the next day, dropped a big bottle in my cart, and poked some BPAL mates to bring it to their attention. It's wonderful. I don't know how well it relates to the book, but based on the label, I'd say this does have an enveloping, encompassing quality. Outstanding.

Oh this is so fun! Starts a deep, syrupy fruity, with orange - or I suppose that's the pink bergamot - singing the loudest. The musk brings this to a resinous sweet, and the eucalyptus takes this to a dead ringer for Juicy Fruit gum. YUM! A wonderful fruit punch, with the strawberry joining in the chorus last. I am not a big fruit scent wearer, but I'm trying, and I was so intrigued by this combination. This is probably the best luck I've had with strawberry! (and I have been TRYING lord i have tried - Maenad, Rope Pulley, Hollywood Babylon, Strawberries & Honeycomb... Laura came the closest). But I will enjoy every last bit of the decant! I would definitely wear this during summer days - would be great for strolling through the park or shops, drinks with friends, heck I could probably even pull this off at work. What a joy! EDIT: yeah, so, I brought the imp to work in my BPAL stash, and it is the scent I have been reaching for most! lasts for hours. it's been a great refresher to follow orange or other sweet/fruity notes, like An Assortment of Spring Pleasures today, which does not appear to have fruity notes but absolutely comes across as fruity floral to me! B.O. is so far out of my usual scent zone, and i'm loving it!

I was most excited about the stone, moss, and hazelnut here, least encouraged by the pine and blackcurrant. To start, this confirmed my fears - that scratch n sniff book pine smell, with a hint of something lemony. Seriously, this was like sinus-clearing freshness, so herbal green it was almost sour, turned mentholated. Once that calmed down, this is a beautiful woods, slightly sweet from the hazelnut finally peeking through. Not at all Christmassy, which was my greatest fear. I would think fans of real, authentic forest/woods smells as well as stone-note fans will appreciate this. Very brisk, natural, and crisp.

Yes! Not what I was expecting to get from these notes! This read to me as something more like a chai latte - which risked going horribly wrong for me! But, no - this is a dry, scratchy woolly spice. I can pick up the coffee if I try, and it's a really dark, almost burnt but not at all unpleasant, coffee. Maybe milk dumped in to light beige? But very little cream for me - for which I am thankful, as it tends to give me burnt plastic. The cardamom and black pepper are the most distinct of the spices for me - a great thing! But these spices are like just-ground, freshly cracked, and so a little bit astringent. Not sweet and not-at-all gourmand. It's warm woody spice - scratchy wool from the cardamom and dry bitter from the black pepper. Really wonderful stuff.

What a treat! Upon first test, this was a light creamy, sweet floral with a little bit green and herbal feel. Very clean, soft, and calm. Second test, I really got the lavender to start, warm and sweet. It developed into a strong, stable, snuggly cologne - something you want to bury your nose in and take deep, soothing breaths. It's not a dry woody lavender but a sweet and fuzzy version. I have since worn this during yoga practice, to bed, and for general unwinding on the couch at the end of the night. I also would wear this to catch up with an old friend and whenever you need a grounding boost of peaceful confidence that everything is as it should be. I didn't even realize how excited I should be for these new RPGs! They and seem to work both as a terrific standalone as well as a great base for layering. This feels like the base for many of my favorites.

Ahhh this is so nice and comforting. To start - sweet corn. Next - popcorn! Salty and buttery. I worried this would go plastic on me, as most delicious buttery things do. Then - warm grain cereal. There's that sweet hay I was hoping for! It's that particular sweetness from Scarecrow Turned Philosopher - a natural grassy, grainy sweet. I would almost call this a foodie smell. Also reminds me of my beloved Brood XIX in that way. I've worn this quite a few times now and only once detected the Fruit Loops scent (which I actually was kind of excited for!), but I keep reaching for this when I want a calm, cozy smell, often at night, when hanging with friends or family, very casual heartwarming gatherings, or even when going to bed. It puts a smile on my face and smells like a big hug. Yummy, salty, and sweet.

I'm trying to make friends with some fruity scents, and I like oudh, so gave this a try. Definitely fruity, but also a little dusty/musty. I think this is a blackberry pattern I'm encountering. Got a similar vibe from The Elephant is Slow to Mate. It's like traces of blackberry in an old jug. The oudh didn't do much here, unfortunately, not a trace of sour. I was hoping it would brighten the blackberry as @fairybites experienced - that dark chocolate fruity funk I love so much. But I didn't get there. Just kind of crusty old fruit.

Gah this so did not work for me. I really wanted to be on this train! The tobacco, patch, and smoke were calling me, but the red fruits, berries, and wine were red flags. I'm not sure how the sum of all those parts gave me old musty country house, but that's what I got. It started like rich sweet maple and eucalyptus, brown and woody. But the Tussin cherry vibe revealed its predictable self and coalesced in the old room in in the upstairs of an old house that nobody goes in anymore. Or an abandoned church. Pretty good throw, and lasted longer than I wanted to smell this. Very sad I missed this train.

Received this as a decant, and I'm going to need a big one. This is a nice fruity plum with a little minty greenery from the florals. This is more what I imagine when I think of 'perfume' in a classic sense. It's a rich, complex scent with great throw but still feels light and airy. Floral stays on top with a sweet-tart plum honey combo floating on top. This totally scratches my plum itch, and I'm glad to see it won't induce an LE panic. I definitely would wear this out with friends, but feels too personal and exposed for work, and a bit too intimate for family.

I tried several of the Cacao Pods this year - I just love that cacao note! But this was my winner. Smells like a cordial cherry! Rich fruity dark chocolate. Smooth and a little funky thanks to that oud - but it's a sour funk, like a nice dark Belgian beer, a Flanders red or a Flemish sour. It reminds me of the tang in Belgian Chocolate, Orange Blossom, Marshmallow, and Jasmine, which is another favorite of mine. But this feels more late summer, sultry heat in the afternoon, whereas I feel the Belgian Chocolate etc. more in the wintertime, around a fire. This is not a particularly powerful throw, so it still feels safe for those warm temps. Delicious.

Gosh, this was such a tease! Just adore this out of the decant. Starts a light honey sweet, damp and green stems that develop that violet character. It's got a shimmering quality -that flash of silk - that reminds me of The Diamond's Gong. But really this strikes me as Serpent Qui Danse lite, that kind of sweet, rich, creamy violet, but not as syrupy heavy. More of a flicker out of the corner of your eye than a head-turner. And I guess that's why it up & disappears on me. ? The butter just isn't holding it down long enough to enjoy more than 30 minutes or so. It's still wonderful! And I will use every drop of my decant! This actually was my No. 2 of the Lupers this year. But I really wish it wasn't quite SO ethereal.

Can't believe I haven't reviewed this yet! This turned out to be my favorite of the Lupers this year. I blind bottled a few things with mixed success this year, but this is the only one I scaled up to a big bottle. I've been searching for something perfectly coy, innocent feigning but really wild beneath it all, and this totally hits the spot! It starts out pink, fruity, almost bubblegum sweet on me, but it continues to develop a creamy sweet richness with just a little funk to suggest the humidity and lust below the surface. Love love love it. Not something I would wear to work, with family, even just with friends unless I was trying to put the red light on. That oud is really quite suggestive. But absolutely a go-to in the bedroom.

I think I like all the elements here, though I'm not sure how saffron is supposed to come across. This was a spicy, scratchy sandalwood on me. Furry, prickly brown & spicy. Had a sweetness to it like cola, but more from the woody elements, like a root beer without sugar. Similar in smell to Brown Jenkin or Small Brown Cat but subtly different vibe - not particularly cozy, but more woody, shaggy, and rooty spice. Really close, bittersweet, and dry.

Orange blossom is usually a win for me, but the balance was just off in this, for me. My experience started much like @splendidissima's - sweet but also sharp, almost medicinal. Next stop was syrupy sweet, like a reduction on a dessert, oily syrupy baklava sweet. Husband smelled dried fruit, think: candied orange peel. But like many delicious things, ended toasty burnt and hyper saccharine sweet. Close, but no cigar.

I am so delighted with this had to come & review! Tested a couple times now from a bottle that rested a few days. The list of notes has so many things up my alley - lilac, iris, violet, gardenia - and a few red flags - chocolate, coconut, which tend to go burnt plastic on me. At first whiff from the bottle when it had just arrived, I panicked. The chocolate was leaping out, and I was certain this was going to be a heartbreaker. But oh no! Chocolate didn't stick around too long and didn't go awry. It's light and a lovely start. This quickly morphed into the loveliest sweet green floral and it makes me smile. It's grassy, like the Gap's Grass fragrance that I loved so dearly and still fantasize about. The coconut is there, but young! Not toasty! This might be the first time coconut has worked for me. Together, the lettuce & coconut give the florals a delicate, natural sweetness that is uplifting and encouraging. Not a whole lot of throw, but I need this in my life, so I'll just keep swiping it on. Just wonderful.

Received a decant of this, and it is promptly going on my next order. This starts as a floral, almost funereal - that too-fresh and sharply sweet, almost saccharine, flower arrangement. As it developed, it reminded me of Lazy Daisy, floral and cottony, with less of the sour note I get from that one. Once the tobacco kicked in - holy moly this is my jam! Smoky, spicy with a little bit to it, it just kept getting spicier! Like a High Strung Daisies carnation floral spicy. Really beautiful. I love it. I need it.

Very much enjoyed this, so much that I gave it to husband and asked that I please may snuggle up to this one. Starts out green and sweet, herbal grassy honey. Must be the almond making it so sweet! Not the amaretto vibe I usually get from almond, but a much more natural sweetener. Eventually the green turned to brown - warm, mellow, very tranquil. Lingered on a warm spicy herbal note. Loved smelling it all day long, but it felt like I was sniffing the traces of someone I miss amongst the clothes they left behind. Beautiful, but I don't expect it wafting from my own arm. But I really couldn't stop sniffing myself. I'll probably still sneak some wears out of the bottle, now on his side of the room.

I was expecting a big, punch in the face, sweaty floral after watching 15 Minutes of 'Fume for this! I should say - I was HOPING for that. And this started as a delectable, deep rich floral. Honey is not always nice to me, but it was very kind - sweet and drippy, not sour and sweaty - here. This blend feels like a form-over-function suffer for beauty, glamorous feel to it - like lounging around a wraparound porch on a humid New Orleans night in sumptuous velvet - hot, sticky, clingy, ripe. A creamy, spicy flower. Smooth petals on a steamy evening. Love it! The effect didn't last more than an hour, but that one hour was HOT!

YUM. This vibe is a combo I seek out in the catalog. It's one of my favorite things they do. 13 (November 2020) and No Man is an Island are two of my faves for this earthy sweet cocoa effect - and this is right in there. Warm, dark, rich, and dry. This cocoa still suggests sweet, even without the supporting notes in those other blends. Maybe it's the resin from the incense? Then again, the copal & palo santo lend the bitter curls wafting up from the swinging vespers. Gorgeous. I really should try all these cocoas if this is how they're gonna do.